Winding down
Normally I write these posts on a Friday evening. Sometimes it’s later than that, but always before Monday so that my editor can give it… Read More »Winding down
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Just one more thing, an essay on troubleshooting
Over the weekend I watched — for the first time in my life — an episode of the long-running ABC and NBC police show Columbo,… Read More »Just one more thing, an essay on troubleshooting
T-SQL Tuesday Retrospective #012: Why DBA skills are necessary
This is my ongoing series of answering T-SQL Tuesday posts far too late to be of any use. Click here if you want to read… Read More »T-SQL Tuesday Retrospective #012: Why DBA skills are necessary
Professionalism in the age of COVID-19
Some years ago, I wrote about what it means to be “professional” (and that it doesn’t mean having to wear a suit and tie). Recently… Read More »Professionalism in the age of COVID-19
Speaking at SQL Saturday Oregon
SQL Saturday Oregon — in the city of Portland — is taking place next weekend on Saturday November 2nd, 2019, and I’ll be presenting a… Read More »Speaking at SQL Saturday Oregon
How to read documentation
I was thinking about a comment I made to my intern last week. She has been studiously attending to all the different things I do… Read More »How to read documentation
Gatekeeping and Accessibility
In my final post about gatekeeping in technology, I have to come clean about something. Let’s go through this journey together. [Edit: At the end… Read More »Gatekeeping and Accessibility
Gatekeeping and the lack of diversity in the workplace
Recently I have become more vocal on Twitter and on my personal blog about my social activism. For the record, I have been an activist… Read More »Gatekeeping and the lack of diversity in the workplace
Gatekeeping and why language matters
This is the second in a series of posts about gatekeeping in Information Technology and other fields. Negative terminology The language we use matters. In… Read More »Gatekeeping and why language matters
The importance of backups
I have been selected to present a second session for the PASS Summit in November this year. I wrote a few weeks ago about the… Read More »The importance of backups
All the signs were there, but we didn’t understand them: an essay on gatekeeping in IT
This is the first in a series of posts about gatekeeping in Information Technology and other fields. I am not the first — nor will… Read More »All the signs were there, but we didn’t understand them: an essay on gatekeeping in IT
It’s a UNIX system. I know this.
Jurassic Park was a great film. Steven Spielberg brought technology into the film era in a major way with computer generated dinosaurs and some now-classic… Read More »It’s a UNIX system. I know this.
Back to the future
It’s January 2019 as I write this. I realized that I started on my journey with SQL Server in 1998, and I wanted to look… Read More »Back to the future
A look back, and a look forward
Time flies. My father used to wear a t-shirt that claimed, “When you’re over the hill, you pick up speed.” I’m turning 40 in a… Read More »A look back, and a look forward
SQL Saturday in Calgary!
I am very happy (and terrified) to announce that Calgary will host its very first SQL Saturday, #607, on 29 April 2017. Noel Tan and… Read More »SQL Saturday in Calgary!